Breaking a Heart's Promise
by 33andobsessed
Summary: AU Inu & Kag the perfect couple. He gives her a ring with the promise of marriage agter college. A twist of fate & 7 years later, Kage has to make a choice to stay or to go.
1. Chapter 1

Breaking a Heart's Promise

* * *

"Thank-you for the wonderful night, Inuyasha." The raven haired teen looked up at her boyfriend and smiled. He glanced down at her brilliant eyes and returned her smile.

"I am glad you enjoyed yourself, Kagome. I have always enjoyed these Concerts in the Park am I am glad you were there to share it with me." Inuyasha reached down and grasped her hand in his, running his thumb across her knuckles. Kagome sighed in contentment and leaned her head upon his shoulder as they walked home.

People who passed the two teens could only stop and stare at the tenderness and overall sense of rightness they portrayed. To all observers, Inuyasha and Kagome were the perfect couple. Inuyasha was only a year or so older than Kagome; both had dark hair and exotic eyes – Kagome's being a deep blue while Inuyasha's were a vibrant lavender. The ease that they showed each other came from growing up together; their friendship having evolved into something far greater.

When Inuyasha started his senior year in high school, he had presented Kagome with a promise ring, telling her that he wanted to marry her once they were out of college. Kagome happily agreed, to the surprise of no one.

That night, Inuyasha had taken Kagome to the Concert in the Park, featuring some of the local talent. When it had finished, they started the trek back to the shrine where she lived. Neither one was paying much attention to their surroundings, preferring to just enjoy each other's company.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here boys?" The speaker stepped out from a darkened side street and stopped in front of the two teens. Kagome held back a gasp as members of one of the city's most notorious gangs surrounded them. "It appears that we have found two little rabbits who have wandered into our territory. They will need to pay the toll if they wish to pass." The leader grinned as he reached a hand out to Kagome, stroking the side of her face with his fingers. She flinched and turned her head into Inuyasha's shoulder in fear. Inuyasha thrust her behind him, keeping her snug against his back in attempt to shield her from the gang leader's touch.

"What do you want with us? We have no money or anything of value. Just let us go." Inuyasha felt Kagome tremble as she tried to bury herself in his back. He knew that he needed to get the two of them out of there quickly before something bad happened.

The young man glared at Inuyasha a moment before giving him a feral grin. Inuyasha felt a shiver of fear run down his back – this didn't bode well. "In that case, I am sure we can work something out using that sweet thing you are trying to hide behind you." The leader took a step, intending to move behind Inuyasha, but Inuyasha turned, keeping himself between the threatening man and Kagome. Seeing this, the man nodded to someone behind the pair; smiling as Kagome was torn from Inuyasha's protective embrace.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled as he spun around, only to see her struggling in the grasp of two other gang members. He made a lunge at the men holding her, only to be brought up short by a sharp blow to his head. Inuyasha fell to his knees, shaking his head as he tried to clear the darkness that hovered at the edges.

"Now, now. We can't be having any of that." The gang leader kicked Inuyasha in the side as he passed. Inuyasha flopped to the ground with a groan of pain.

"No! Inuyasha!" He heard Kagome cry out, fear thick in her voice. Groggily, Inuyasha opened his eyes, focusing on the sight that caused his blood to boil. The gang leader stood forcibly kissing Kagome as he ran his hand up under her shirt. Kagome continued to struggle as she was being restrained.

Kagome quickly realized that her struggles produced very little in the way of results. Desperately, she bit down as the leader thrust his tongue into her mouth, causing him to step back with a snarl. He lifted his hand and struck her face, snapping her head to the side.

When Inuyasha saw the man strike Kagome, he saw red. Leaping to his feet, he tackled to unsuspecting man to the ground. He heard Kagome scream as a gun shot echoed just moments before a blinding pain sent him spiraling into darkness. The sounds of sirens rapidly approaching caused the gang to scatter; the leader cursing in frustration as then men restraining Kagome released her. He made a grab for her; missing as she ducked passed him to get to Inuyasha's side. With the patrol car rapidly approaching, he took off after the rest of the gang.

"Don't leave me, Inuyasha!" Kagome cried hysterically as she cradled his bloody form to her chest. "You can't die on me!" She resisted the officers' attempts to get her to release the young man, finally letting go once she realized that the paramedics were there to take him to the hospital. Kagome numbly followed them into the ambulance, the officers following behind, hoping to get her statement at the hospital.

_several hours later_

A surgeon in blue scrubs came out to talk to those waiting. Kagome sat quietly, not saying a word, while her mother rubbed a hand on her back in an attempt to console her daughter. "Are you here for the young man with the gunshot wound to the head?" At their nod, the surgeon continued. "He made it through surgery just fine. We will not know how much damage his brain sustained until he wakes from his coma."

Kagome looked at him with dull eyes. "Coma?" she whispered.

The doctor nodded. "I am afraid so. There was extensive bleeding in his brain as well as bullet and bone fragments. I will be totally honest; he may never wake up, or if he does, he may be in a permanent vegetative state. There is no way of knowing until he does wake."

Kagome wanted to cry, but felt like there were no more tears left. "Can I see him?"

The surgeon nodded, "Yes, but only for a moment tonight. You need to go home and get some rest. You will not do him any good if you do not take care of yourself." He led her to the ICU bed where Inuyasha lay, his head swathed in bandages and a respirator hooked up to help his breathing.

Going to his side, Kagome reached out and gently touched his cheek where it peeked from below the bandaging. Leaning over, she kissed him, whispering to him to hurry and get well. She watched him for a moment until her mother came and led her out the door.

_2 years later_

"This is Inuyasha. Age 20. He came to this facility after falling into a coma following a gunshot wound to the head 2 years ago." The charge nurse said as she led her group of nurses into the room for their orientation. The elderly woman greeted the dark-haired woman sitting beside the bed before continuing to brief the new nurses on the patient's statistics. Most of the new nurses' eyes were upon the charge nurse or upon the patient, Inuyasha. One pair found themselves drawn to the woman beside the bed.

Koga had only been paying half attention to Kaede's briefs on each of the patients on the floor, until they entered this room. The sadness of the young woman in front of him tugged at his heart strings. He wanted nothing more than to make her smile once again.

Once Nurse Kaede finished with the patient's stats, she ushered her young charges out of the door and closed it behind her. "Who was that young woman with Inuyasha?" Koga asked, unable to hold back his curiosity any longer.

Kaede looked back at the closed door, a sad smile on her face. "That is Kagome. She is Inuyasha's girlfriend. She was there when he was shot and has been coming faithfully to visit him for the past 2 years. You will all come to know her quite well in the coming months, but don't expect her to say much to you. We know that she talks to Inuyasha, but she will not say much to anyone else." Kaede finished her tale and led the small group to the next patient. Koga looked back at the closed door thoughtfully.

_Several months later_

"Graduation was last night, Inuyasha. I was so scared about giving my speech, but thanks to your listening to me as I practiced it, it went really well. I still find it hard to believe that I was valedictorian.

Mom and Grampa were so proud of me. I swear that they took 30 rolls of pictures. I will bring you one when they come back." Kagome leaned over and brushed a stray lock of hair from his face, allowing her fingers to linger. She quickly sat back when the door opened. Looking up, she saw one of the nurses step in.

Koga began to look forward to the physical therapy sessions with Inuyasha. He knew that Kagome would be there at least twice a week and often looked forward to spending a little time in her presence.

"Hello Inuyasha and Kagome. How are you doing today?" Koga asked as he walked over to the unoccupied side of the bed. He didn't really expect an answer from the young woman, but he talked to her none the less. Koga began exercising Inuyasha's limbs, maintaining a commentary on what he was doing and why.

Kagome watched the male nurse, Koga, move Inuyasha through his exercises. She had watched them do the same ones for the past several months, and knew the routine by heart. "Could I help you with the rest of them today, Koga?" Kagome surprised herself by asking.

Koga looked at her in barely concealed shock. "Umm, sure, Kagome. You just follow me." He instructed her in the next set of exercises, correcting her form here and there. "Hey you are doing really well. Are you after my job?" Koga asked her with a teasing grin.

Kagome smiled at him. It felt really good to be helping Inuyasha, even if it was just with a few exercises. Koga held back a cheer, pleased that he had gotten the young woman to smile at him. Finishing up, Koga documented his visit in Inuyasha's chart. Walking to the door, he turned and said his farewells. As the door closed behind him, he could hear Kagome's soft "Goodbye".

_4 years later_

The room was quiet as the beautiful young woman gazed sadly down upon the comatose young man. She reached out a hand and wrapped it around the one lying upon the bed. She leaned over and placed a chaste kiss upon the still forehead before sitting in the chair beside him.

"Oh Inuyasha! I miss you so much!" Tears were rolling down her cheeks. "I can't do this any more. I have held out hope that you would wake up for the past 7 years, even after everyone else had given up hope."

Kagome held the limp hand to her cheek, nuzzling its warmth. "This is the year that we talked about getting married. I graduated from college last week, and am starting my new job in a month." Silence fell as tears continued to fall.

"Inuyasha, I love you dearly, but I can't wait around any longer. I wanted to let you know that I have found someone I can be happy with once again. He understands about us, and has been very patient with me."

Kagome sat back and her voice softened, "I am not really sure how it happened. I was not looking for a new relationship, knowing that you'd wake up any day and things would be back the way they used to be. Then I met Koga. He came in and talked to me even though I didn't respond back. He would tell me what he was doing and why it was important that you exercise. I offered to help, and the next thing I knew, we became friends. One day, I found my self laughing again and finding joy in the little things. Once I stopped to examine why, I found that somehow Koga managed to heal the gaping emptiness that you had left behind. I resisted at first, feeling like I was being unfaithful to you, until one day I heard this song on the radio that spoke to me."

Kagome started to sing softly to Inuyasha.

_I'm so tired of being here_

_Suppressed by all my childish fears_

_If you have to leave, I wish you'd just leave_

_Cause your presence still lingers here_

_And it won't leave me alone_

_These wounds won't seem to heal_

_This pain is just too real_

_There's just too much that time cannot erase_

_When you cried, I'd wipe away all of your tears_

_When you screamed, I'd chase away all of your fears_

_I held your hand through all of these years_

_And you still have all of me_

_You used to captivate me _

_With your resonating mind_

_Now I'm bound by the life you left behind_

_Your face, it haunts my once pleasant dreams_

_Your voice, it chased away all of the sanity in me_

_These wounds won't seem to heal_

_This pain is just too real_

_There's just too much that time cannot erase_

_When you cried, I'd wipe away all of your tears_

_When you screamed, I'd chase away all of your fears_

_I held your hand through all of these years_

_And you still have all of me_

_I tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone_

_But though you're still with me_

_I've been alone all along_

_When you cried, I'd wipe away all of your tears_

_When you screamed, I'd chase away all of your fears_

_I held your hand through all of these years_

_And you still have all of me_

Kagome allowed the song to fade away before allowing the sobs that were welling up to escape. She laid her head upon Inuyasha's shoulder and held on as she wept out years of heartache and sorrow. Once she finally managed to calm down, Kagome leaned back and slowly removed the promise ring that he had given her so long ago from her finger. Looking at it sadly, she placed it upon Inuyasha's pinky finger, only managing to get it past the first knuckle. Kissing it, she laid his hand back upon the bed.

"This is good-bye, Inuyasha. Koga and I will be marrying next week in a private ceremony. I want you to be happy for me. I love you and I will never forget you." Kagome stood and kissed Inuyasha one last time on the forehead, allowing the tears to fall freely.

"Hey, Kagome, are you ready to go?"

Kagome looked up and saw Koga standing nervously in the doorway. Gathering up her stuff, she took one last lingering look before walking to the door. "I am ready now, Koga. Let's go." Koga nodded and wrapped a comforting arm around her waist and led her out of the room; neither one looking back.

If they had taken one last look, they would have seen the hand upon which Kagome placed the promise ring clench into a fist and a lone tear trail down Inuyasha's pale cheek.

* * *

The end (?)

_A/N: The song is by Evanescence, My Immortal. I was listening to it one day when this idea came to me. The story is originally meant to be a One Shot, but I may continue it if enough people respond to it._

_Read, Enjoy, & Review_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

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_Once again, I do not own Inuyasha, only my plot.

* * *

_

Nurse Kaede entered Inuyasha's room to do his daily exercises. With Koga taking time off to prepare for the wedding, she was picking up the slack. She gave the comatose young man a tender look, brushing a lock of hair from his face.

"Hello, Inuyasha. How are you doing today?" Kaede asked as she started his routine. "I saw Kagome leaving earlier today. I figure she told you her news? I hope that she and Koga will be happy together."

Kaede continued putting Inuyasha through his paces, noticing that she was starting to come across some resistance. Pausing for a moment, Kaede studied his still form. 'It can't be, can it?' she asked herself.

"Inuyasha, can you hear me? If you can, I want you to squeeze my finger." She placed her hand into his lax one. Was that movement? Trying to curb her excitement, Kaede focused on his face. "Come on Inuyasha, I know that you are there. I want you to open your eyes for me. I know that you can do it! Open your eyes!"

For a long moment, nothing happened. Kaede sighed. 'I was hoping…' Picking up his chart, she made notations about the exercises and the faint movements she had noticed. Finishing up, she replaced the chart and took one last look at Inuyasha, only to see piercing lavender eyes staring at her from the bed.

Kaede smiled. "Welcome back, Inuyasha."

* * *

"Thank-you for lunch, Koga." Kagome gave her fiancé a small smile. 

Koga placed a warm hand to her cheek. "Are you okay?"

Kagome sighed, leaning her head on Koga's shoulder for a moment before answering. "I am okay, Koga. I am just a bit distracted, that's all." She slipped her hand into his and started walking down the street.

Koga was silent for several blocks, stealing glances now and then at the petite woman by his side. "You are thinking about Inuyasha, aren't you?" he asked softly.

Kagome didn't answer, and Koga knew that he had guessed correctly. He stopped and gently gripped her shoulders, turning her so that she faced him.

"Listen, Kagome. I understand how you feel about him; I feel the same way about you. You know me well enough now to know I won't push you in any way. If I need to back off a little to give you time to reconcile breaking up with that man back at the center, I am more than willing to." Koga paused, wiping away a tear that fell down Kagome's cheek.

"Damn it, Kagome! All I ask is that you don't shut me out. I love you." He bent down and pressed a tender kiss upon her lips before he stepped back.

"Koga, I am sorry. I love you too, but my heart feels like it is breaking."

"Kagome, like I said before, I understand. Tell you what. I will take you home, and for the next two days, I want you to spend time with your family and friends. I will leave you alone for this time. But I want you to come to a full decision about us, without any regrets. I don't want to marry you only to become a divorce statistic a few years down the road."

Kagome sniffed and looked into Koga's eyes, gasping slightly at the emotions that swirled in their depths. "I am so sorry Koga…" He put a finger to her lips, halting her apology.

"Kagome, there is nothing to be sorry for. I told you I would wait for you and I meant it. I will wait forever for you if I need to."

Kagome studied him closely for a moment before nodding. "Okay, Koga. I will take these two days and give you a definite answer – no more indecision or regrets." Koga placed a chaste kiss on her forehead and smiled gently at her.

"Well then," he said as he took her hand and started back down the street, "let's get you home." Koga smiled gently down at the woman beside him as he saw a small smile appear upon her beautiful face. 'I just hope I don't have to wait too long for you, my Kagome.'

* * *

"I am home, mom!" Kagome called as she put her stuff on the hall table. She was met with silence. Walking into the kitchen, Kagome saw the note from her mother stating she was running errands and would be back in a few hours. 

Kagome took a deep breath and loosened her neck muscles. Pouring herself a glass of iced tea, she took a sip and listened to the phone messages. The first two were from a couple of friends who wanted to get together for a movie or something. The last one was from the care center where Koga worked and Inuyasha resided.

"_Kagome, this is Nurse Kaede. I am calling to give you some good news: Inuyasha has awoken from his coma…"_

The sound of breaking glass followed by a thump obscured the remainder of the message. Kagome had fainted.

* * *

Kagome slowly came to her senses, feeling someone brush her bangs from her face. 

"Kagome, are you okay?" Kagome opened her eyes to see her mother's concerned face looking at her.

Sitting up quickly, Kagome gasped out "Mama…" Mrs. Higurashi quickly embraced her daughter.

"I heard the message. What are you going to do?"

"I have to go see him."

"What about Koga?" Kagome looked at her mother with tear filled eyes.

"I have to do this, mama. Koga understands and has already said he'd back off for the next couple of days so I could be sure of my choice. I have to go see Inuyasha."

Mrs. Higurashi studied her daughter closely before nodded. "I see. Do you want me to go with you?"

Kagome shook her head. "No thank you. I want to do this on my own."

Mrs. Higurashi sighed and kissed Kagome's forehead. "Okay, but please be careful, all right?"

Kagome smiled at her mother. "I will, mama. Thank you."

* * *

Kagome walked through the hallways of the center, trying to quell the butterflies in her stomach. Stopping at the nurses' station, she asked for Nurse Kaede, who quickly answered her page. 

"Hello, Kagome. Please come and sit for a moment. I want to tell you what to expect at this time." Kaede led the young woman to a set of chairs and sat her down.

"The doctor has been in to see Inuyasha. We know he is aware of us; following us with his eyes and responding to commands. He has not yet spoken, but that is normal. We still are not sure what damage his brain received or even if anything will be noticed.

Inuyasha probably will have some memory loss. Again, this is normal. The main thing to remember is that you two share a bond. Inuyasha should recognize this at least on some level." Kagome sat and quietly absorbed what the older woman was telling her. After a moment, Kaede stood to her feet. "Are you ready for this, dear?"

Taking a deep breath, Kagome nodded and followed her to Inuyasha's room. Kaede turned to her and smiled. "You go on in. If you need anything, give me a call." Patting Kagome in the arm, she turned and walked down the hall. Kagome stood and watched her leave, her hand on the door.

'Why am I so nervous?' Steeling herself, Kagome slowly opened the door and stepped inside.

Inuyasha lay with his eyes closed; it appeared that he was asleep. Kagome quietly made her way to the bedside and reached out for his hand. Slipping her hand into his, Kagome felt as if nothing had changed; his grasp remained lax in hers as it had for the past 7 years. Closing her eyes, Kagome tried to hold back the tears welling up.

Lost in her internal struggle, Kagome didn't notice when Inuyasha opened his eyes. She jumped when she felt him squeeze her hand.

"Inu…Inuyasha…" Kagome could hardly believe it when she looked into his bright eyes once again. She had worried that she'd never see their beautiful depths again.

Inuyasha smiled at her and lifted his hand to her cheek, catching a stray teardrop. Kagome returned the smile before throwing herself onto his chest, desperately clutching his shoulders while sobs tore through her small frame.

Inuyasha looked shocked for a moment before slowly wrapping his arms around her. He slowly stroked her head while Kagome cried. Working his mouth, he tried to form the words that tried desperately to spill forth. With much struggle, he finally managed a soft "'Gome" which caused her to lift her head.

"Oh, Inuyasha, I have missed you so much!" Kagome cried, tears competing with her large smile for dominance. "I love you so much!"

Inuyasha grinned at her and worked on getting his next words out. "Love you too."

Neither Inuyasha nor Kagome noticed a pair of eyes that watched from the open doorway. Seeing enough, the silent observer turned and walked out of the building.

* * *

TBC 

Who was that observer?

_A/N: I was very pleased with the response I have gotten from the first chapter of this story. I have decided to continue it, however, it will not be a high priority until Living the Promise is finished. I will update this one as time permits._

_Several of you have asked what the pairings will be. All I can say is "I don't know" This is still an angst genre story and final pairings (if any) have not yet been decided. I just ask that you all be patient with me and keep reading and reviewing._

_A great big thank-you goes out to my wonderful beta, Breezie, who puts up with me and my wonderful (?) / stupid (!) ideas. Her help is greatly appreciated!_

_As always, Read, Enjoy, and Review._


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

* * *

Inuyasha stared up at the ceiling and counted the tiles. He was more than ready to leave this place where he had evidently spent the last several years of his life, but the doctors kept telling him that he needed to be patient a bit longer; that he still needed physical and speech therapy on a daily basis.

Glancing over at the clock on the wall, Inuyasha sighed. Kagome would be by in an hour. Deciding he was tired of lying around, Inuyasha sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed and worked on standing up. His legs wobbled and started to buckle beneath him. Inuyasha quickly grabbed onto the bed, trying to steady himself. Feeling like his legs were ready, he let go and took a few shuffling steps towards the door. He had almost made it when his body betrayed him and he collapsed onto the floor.

As he lay panting where he fell, Inuyasha felt a rage building within him. Slamming his fists on the floor, he gritted his teeth. 'Damnit! Look at me! I am weak as a fucking baby!' he thought angrily. Inuyasha tried to voice his anger but soon gave up and let loose a wordless roar. Moments later, he heard footsteps approaching his room. Inuyasha looked up into Kaede's wide eyes.

"Inuyasha, are you okay? What are you doing out of bed?" she asked as she stooped down and lifted Inuyasha back to his feet. Putting her arm around his waist, she walked him back to his bed, where he angrily pushed her away and collapsed back upon the rumpled bedding.

Nurse Kaede put a weathered hand to his cheek and turned his face towards hers. Smiling at his sullen glare, she said, "Inuyasha, you must be patient." At his growl, she shook her head. "I know that is not what you want to hear. Live with it. You have not used your body for 7 years, and you cannot expect it to return to normal in only a few days. You need to give yourself time to recover your strength."

Inuyasha glared at her and mumbled something as he turned from her.

"What was that, Inuyasha? You must speak up." He threw her another glare; Kaede was hard pressed to hold back a chuckle.

"I said…I feel…like…a…baby!" he ground out laboriously. Kaede patted his arm.

"I know, Inuyasha, but again, I ask you to be patient with yourself." She stopped for a moment, thinking.

"I will tell you what, Inuyasha. I will see if I can set you up with a bit more physical therapy and get you some exercises you can do on your own. In the mean time, I want you to practice speaking aloud."

Inuyasha sighed and gave the old woman a nod. Kaede smiled. "I am sorry, Inuyasha, I didn't hear that."

"Fine," he managed to spit out.

"Very good. I will be back in a while then." Nurse Kaede stood and patted Inuyasha's arm once more before she walked out the door.

Inuyasha grumbled and flopped onto his side, his back towards the door.

* * *

"Koga, I am sorry. We need to postpone the wedding. I can't marry you right now…" Kagome cried, pleading for his understanding.

Koga sighed and reached out to brush a wayward lock of hair from her face. "I understand, Kagome. After all, I told you to make sure you were ready for this." He leaned over and captured her lips with his, giving her a tender, poignant kiss.

"I know that Inuyasha has come out of his coma. I can understand you wanting to step back and examine our relationship together in light of his recovery." Koga paused and wiped away a tear that rolled down Kagome's cheek. "I will wait for you, my love. I just ask that you give me an equal chance. Remember, Kagome, you have changed these past 7 years, as has he. Neither of you are the same person you were that fateful day."

"I know, but I have to try," Kagome whispered softly. "If I didn't, I will always wonder 'what if...'"

Koga sighed again and studied her face. Finding what he was looking for, he stood and kissed Kagome's forehead before leaving her sitting on the bench. Kagome watched him walk away from her as tears slowly fell.

Taking a deep breath, she swiped at her eyes and looked at her watch. "Oh no, I am late! Inuyasha was expecting me 20 minutes ago." Jumping up, Kagome quickly ran down the block to catch the bus to the center.

* * *

Inuyasha yawned and opened his eyes. He hadn't planned on falling asleep, but his body evidently had other ideas. Glancing at the clock, he growled. 'Where is Kagome? She is late!'

Moments later, he heard running feet that stopped at his door before a tentative knock sounded. Kagome opened the door and smiled at Inuyasha.

He glared at her. "You are late," he snapped crossly.

Kagome was shocked at his response. "I…I am sorry, Inuyasha. I lost track of the time and missed the bus." She took a hesitant step into the room.

Inuyasha turned his head and gave a "Keh". Taking that to mean she was forgiven, Kagome went over and sat on the bed.

"I brought you something, Inuyasha," Kagome said as she withdrew a book from her purse. She handed it to him and he turned it around to read the title. It was J.R.R. Tolkin's Fellowship of the Ring.

"Thank-you, Kagome," he said with a smile. It was one of his favorite books.

"I thought we could read aloud to each other, plus it will give you something to do during the day. When you finish, I will bring in the movie that was made from it a few years ago."

Inuyasha looked at her skeptically. "Movie? Was it… any good?"

"It was totally wonderful! It won all kinds of Oscars and everything. They filmed all three books and made each one into an epic movie," Kagome squealed excitedly.

Inuyasha laughed at her exuberance. "Well, let's get this story started then," he said slowly. Kagome settled beside him and they took turns reading; Kagome started off the first page, Inuyasha read the second, Kagome the third, etc.

It was slow going and Inuyasha quickly grew frustrated with the effort it was taking him to speak out loud. After a particularly difficult passage, Inuyasha snarled and threw the book across the room. "Enough!"

Kagome looked at him in hurt surprise. She started to ask what was wrong, but changed her mind when he glared angrily at her.

Holding back tears that threatened to fall, Kagome stood up and slowly walked over and picked up the book. Smoothing the crinkled pages, she placed it on the small table beside the bed. Inuyasha stared blindly at the wall, refusing to meet Kagome's gaze.

"I am sorry, Inuyasha. I should have realized…" Kagome said softly. "I guess I will see you tomorrow then." She placed her hand on Inuyasha's shoulder, only to have him shrug it off. Kagome stood looking at him for a moment before turning away. If he had been looking at her, Inuyasha would have seen the lone tear that made its escape down her cheek. Gathering her things, Kagome walked quietly to the door. "Bye Inuyasha."

Inuyasha lay still for a long time after Kagome left. He knew he had hurt her by his callous actions, but Inuyasha was at a loss as to why he had acted that way. Thinking back on her visit, he tried to figure out what went wrong.

'All I know is that I got angry that she was late showing up – that in itself was stupid. I know Kagome well enough to know that she always has a good reason if she is late.' Inuyasha sat up and looked at the book lying on the table.

'I was enjoying myself while we were reading; especially having her snuggled beside me. I guess I just got too impatient with my struggle to speak.' He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. 'That still does not excuse how I acted at the end of her visit though. I was no better than a spoiled child.'

Staring at the book, Inuyasha reached over and picked it up. Finding where he had left off, he started reading aloud once again. 'At least I can practice some more,' he thought to himself.

* * *

TBC

_A/N: Sorry for the long wait for this chapter. I did not have a very good December, and am now trying to get back into the swing of things. _

_I am curious to know what you all think is going to happen. I have the story pretty much mapped out, but I am wondering if anyone has figured out where it is heading yet. Leave me a review and let me know what you think._

_Thanks go to my wonderful beta, Breezie for all her hard work._

_As always, Read, Enjoy, and Review!_


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